Li Dan, Müller Marc B, Gilje Scott, Kaner Richard B, Wallace Gordon G
ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
Nat Nanotechnol. 2008 Feb;3(2):101-5. doi: 10.1038/nnano.2007.451. Epub 2008 Jan 27.
Graphene sheets offer extraordinary electronic, thermal and mechanical properties and are expected to find a variety of applications. A prerequisite for exploiting most proposed applications for graphene is the availability of processable graphene sheets in large quantities. The direct dispersion of hydrophobic graphite or graphene sheets in water without the assistance of dispersing agents has generally been considered to be an insurmountable challenge. Here we report that chemically converted graphene sheets obtained from graphite can readily form stable aqueous colloids through electrostatic stabilization. This discovery has enabled us to develop a facile approach to large-scale production of aqueous graphene dispersions without the need for polymeric or surfactant stabilizers. Our findings make it possible to process graphene materials using low-cost solution processing techniques, opening up enormous opportunities to use this unique carbon nanostructure for many technological applications.
石墨烯片具有非凡的电子、热学和力学性能，有望得到广泛应用。实现石墨烯的大多数潜在应用的一个前提是要有大量可加工的石墨烯片。在没有分散剂辅助的情况下将疏水性石墨或石墨烯片直接分散在水中，通常被认为是一个无法克服的挑战。在此我们报告，由石墨制得的化学转化石墨烯片可通过静电稳定作用轻松形成稳定的水性胶体。这一发现使我们能够开发出一种无需聚合物或表面活性剂稳定剂就能大规模生产石墨烯水分散体的简便方法。我们的研究结果使得利用低成本溶液加工技术来加工石墨烯材料成为可能，为将这种独特的碳纳米结构用于众多技术应用开辟了巨大机遇。
